All the candidates attending, expressed support for the oil and gas industry.

Republican Yvette Herrell who is running for the New Mexico Second Congressional District seat being vacated by Steve Pearce said less government red tape is something she will focus on if elected in November.

Grant County Democratic Sen. Howie Morales made the long trip from Silver City to Carlsbad.

Morales is the Democratic nominee for Lt. Gov. and being a native of a county known for its copper industry, he said it’s important to support the state’s extractive industries.

“I’ve seen it first hand,” Morales said. “My father was a copper miner and when copper prices went down that’s when you were going to see layoffs and those are times when I remember having to pay with food stamps or wait in line for government milk and cheese.

"Same goes for the southeast side of the state, as when we look at the extractive industries and what they do for bringing jobs, we have to recognize that for being a part of New Mexico and recognize the importance of that.”

Republican Pat Lyons is seeking the office of State Land Commissioner. He served two terms as land boss from 2003 to 2010.

He’s also finishing his second term on the Public Regulation Commission. He can’t seek that office again due to term limits.

He’s running against Democrat Stephanie Garcia Richard and said her stance on the oil and gas industry is a concern.

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Candidate for U.S. Senate Mick Rich at the Energy Summit Sep. 6 in Carlsbad, New Mexico.(Photo: Jessica Onsurez Current-Argus)

“We’re running against a real liberal opponent,” Lyons said. “I was worried about that with the primary they had so I decided to run again. We’ve done the job before and we have some experience and we support the oil and gas industry. We want to help New Mexicans to be able to fund education better.”

Hernandez agrees with Carlson that roads and other infrastructure in the county need to be improved.

Hernandez doesn’t favor tax increases; instead he would like to see the mill rate be increased for energy producing counties.

Hernandez also suggested that Eddy County hire a liaison to deal with the oil and gas industry.

Steve McCutcheon the Republican elected candidate for Eddy County Commission District 4 also addressed the crowd. He defeated incumbent Stella Davis during the June primary and will have no opposition in November.

Roads, public safety and responsible budget management are his goals for the next commission.

“It’s up to us to manage money responsibly,” he said.

Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546, MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on Twitter.